Sonia Bluhm

The National Centre for Coasts and Climate, through the Earth Systems and Climate Change Hub, has undertaken research to improve knowledge and resources on blue carbon ecosystems, coastal erosion and eco-engineering coastal defence solutions.

CASE STUDY 5.6: Climate Measurement Standards Initiative In response to the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), Australia’s financial services sector is now increasingly considering the…

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is currently undergoing the government review process for Working Group I (the Physical Science Basis) of its Sixth Assessment Report. Three science presentations are provided by report authors to assist reviewers to understand the key science topics and issues that might be covered in the report.

In this webinar, ESCC Hub researchers Eng. Joao Morim and Dr Andrew Marshall discuss the impacts of climate change and variability on wind-forced waves, to inform the next generation of Australian coastal climate projections towards improved coastal planning and management.

In this webinar, Dr Vanessa Haverd (CSIRO) provides an overview of the land carbon cycle, including the natural and human-induced sources and sinks. She also describes the role and performance of an Australian land-surface model, and presents results focusing on the contributions of carbon dioxide fertilisation versus land-use change to the net land carbon sink

Firestorms are (pyrocumulonimbus bushfires) are fires so intense they create their own thunderstorms, extreme winds, black hail, and lightning. Human-caused climate change has already resulted in more dangerous weather conditions for bushfires in recent decades for many regions of Australia. This article outlines research which shows that from 2060 onwards, sharp increases in dangerous fire days across southeast Australia that coincided with atmospheric conditions primed to generate firestorms are projected. These extremely dangerous days also shifted across seasons, starting to appear in late spring.

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is the third-most-important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and methane. Human-driven N₂O emissions have been growing unabated for many decades, but we may have been seriously underestimating by just how much. In a paper published today in Nature Climate Change, we found global emissions are higher and growing faster than are being reported.

In this webinar, Dr Simon Marsland from CSIRO will introduce the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) design and experimental protocols, and present results from the ACCESS simulations of past, present and future global climate that are being processed for submission to CMIP6.

The Earth Systems and Climate Change Hub has produced four synthesis brochures outlining the latest knowledge and Hub research on extreme weather events, including tropical cyclones, east coast lows, bushfires and thunderstorms, and how these events may change in the future as our climate continues to warm.

In this webinar, Dr Helen Phillips (University of Tasmania) introduces the ocean’s role in the climate system, and how it draws down heat from the atmosphere. She also discusses new understanding of the Leeuwin Current and South Australian Current systems, and their role in the global ocean circulation.

ESCC Hub research over the past three years under Project 2.2 used Australian-developed climate models, such as the  Australian Community Climate and Earth-System Simulator (ACCESS) to investigate the role of the Pacific Ocean in global warming, and how changes in the South Pacific Ocean can impact the Tropical Pacific.

ESCC Hub research over the past three years under Project 2.2 has investigated how important Australian climate drivers such as ENSO and the IOD will respond to climate change in the future. They also looked at how the risks of extreme El Niño events may change into the future.

ESCC Hub research over the past three years under Project 2.2 has investigated the causes behind recent extreme climate events, including the contribution of human-caused climate change. The project team has worked to advance the scientific field of ‘detection and attribution’ of extreme events.

In this webinar, Michelle Ho from the CSIRO discusses how a robust (bottom-up) assessment approach known as ‘decision scaling’ can be used to assess future climate risks and adaptation options for a variety of water systems, including the lower Murray-Darling Basin.

In this webinar, Tony Rafter (CSIRO) outlines current understanding of historical tropical cyclone behaviour, recent trends in the Australian region and future trends. He demonstrates how a new interactive web tool developed through the ESCC Hub – the Tropical Cyclone Projections Portal – is helping us understand and communicate potential changes in tropical cyclone frequency and location in future climates.